Jazz Clubs in Madrid

12 September 2023

Several venues in Madrid offer a unique experience for music lovers among the city’s variety of night-life options. Halls and clubs that host stimulating evenings and sessions with the best live jazz music by established artists and up and coming talents. Enjoy Madrid's night-life at any of the venues belonging to the Madrid en Vivo Association of Live Music Venues dedicated to this musical genre that emerged in the United States at the end of the 19th century.

BIG MAMA BALLROOM

Calle de Bernardino Obregón 3. Metro: Embajadores (L3, L5)

Established in Madrid in 2015, it was conceived to emulate the golden age of swing in the United States. The hall originally devoted to swing and blues. It was a pioneer in Madrid and unique in Europe due to its exceptional characteristics. Big Mama Ballroom has become the main catalyst for swing with live music in Madrid.

The hall is a real magnet for lovers of traditional jazz music and dances, whilst also having a regular audience of amateur and professional dancers from Madrid and the surrounding area.

CAFÉ BERLÍN CLUB MADRID

Calle Costanilla de los Ángeles, 20. Metro: Callao (L3, L5), Ópera (L2, L5, R), Santo Domingo (L2)

Café Berlín is once more one of the leading venues on the Madrid circuit, hosting around 500 concerts and events a year. Without losing what have always been its hallmarks - as has historically been the case, the venue continues to host top-level jazz and flamenco artists - the Berlin has also managed to successfully open up to other styles such as pop, funk, pop, soul, folk, song and electronica, with musical and artistic quality as a unique and indispensable condition.

Jorge Pardo, Luis Salinas, Matthew Hallsall, Fly, Avishai Cohen, Javier Colina, Martirio, Josemi Carmona, Jorge Drexler and Natalia Lafourcade are some of the names that have performed on its stage.

CAFÉ CENTRAL

Plaza del Ángel, 10. Metro: Antón Martín (L1), Sol (L1, L2, L3), Tirso de Molina (L1)

On 12 August 2023, Café Central celebrated 41 years of daily concerts. More than 14,000 concerts and more than 1 million attendees. This venue in the Literary Quarter is totally committed to quality, convinced that only quality can gain the support of an audience that will be willing to accept all the proposals that appear on stage provided they trust in their "principle". Every night mixing music and life in the heart of Madrid.

CLAMORES

Calle Alburquerque, 14. Metro: Bilbao (L1, L4), Quevedo (L2), San Bernardo (L2, L4)

This cosmopolitan venue, opened in 1981 in the Chamberí district, reproduces the style of London and New York jazz and soul venues. Stars who have performed on its stage include Terence Blanchard, Pedro Iturralde, Joe Henderson and Chano Domínguez, among others.

Every day, top national and international jazz concerts are programmed, as well as the best soul, funk and blues bands. In recent years, this venue has opened up to new musical styles and trends, whilst always preserving its essence.

EL DESPERTAR

Calle Torrecilla del Leal, 18. Metro: Antón Martín (L1), Lavapiés (L3)

Opened at the beginning of 1981, in a modernist style, it is a café that used to host gatherings at the turn of the century. Located in the Lavapiés neighbourhood, next to the Cine Doré and the National Film Library, its special characteristics make it a common place for film recordings, where scenes from films such as Cara de Acelga and En la ciudad sin límites have been filmed.

It is specialised in Dutch burnt coffee, coffee with a shot, Cuban and Irish coffees, caipirinhas and all kinds of national and imported drinks. With a jazz atmosphere, it is a café where you can chat. It offers a wide and varied cultural range of performances, gatherings and exhibitions.

EL INTRUSO

Calle Augusto Figueroa, 3. Metro: Chueca (L5)

Intruso Bar is a club located in the heart of Madrid, in Chueca, opposite Fuencarral market. Concerts, events, presentations and special sessions are what Intruso has to offer so that you can enjoy the best atmosphere in this innovative space. Each week, it hosts two of the most acclaimed jam sessions: Latin Jam and Ocelot Jam.

Since it was opened, leading national and international artists with different styles have performed on its stage. The Sweet Vandals, Bob Sands Big Band, Eddie Roberts (UK), California Honeydrops, Bob Stroger (USA), Tail Dragger (USA), Graham Fenton (UK), Clinton Fearon (JM).

HANGAR 48

Calle de Bailén, 24. Metro: La Latina (L5)

Hangar 48 came about in 2017 with a renewed proposal after more than 20 years of activity (formerly known as Vendetta). Located at Calle Bailén 24 and within walking distance of La Latina, the venue has two floors: Red Room (Clubbing) and Underground Club (Clubbing and Live Music).  It hosts a wide range of musical proposals, from jazz, soul, funk, disco, Hip Hop, R&B, a, reggae, ska, rock, folk or Latin, offering a space for both new and established artists. 

MOE

Calle Alberto Alcocer, 32. Metro: Colombia (L8, L9), Cuzco (L10)

This club has been offering tasteful and fun night-life since 1999. The live music, focused on jazz, funk and blues, and its two floors with different atmospheres make the MOE a versatile and complete venue.

Great musicians, such as Eddie Roberts, The Sweet Vandals, Primital, Bob Stroger, Russian Red, Jerry Gonzalez, Canal Street Jazz Band or Jorge Pardo have performed on its stage. The MOE Jazz Jam Session takes place every Wednesday.

TEMPO AUDIOPHILE CLUB

Calle Duque de Osuna, 8. Metro: Plaza de España (L2, L3, L10), Ventura Rodríguez (L3)

In the 1950s, a bar concept was born  in countries such as Japan and Vietnam, in which sound quality is the main feature, rapidly becoming popular, with more than 500 audiophile bars in Japan alone. Recently, this concept has begun to spread to other countries, with cities such as London as the pioneer and main standard-bearer, becoming a true global phenomenon and trend. The term "Audiophile" refers to sound quality.

Tempo Audiophile Club is passion for authenticity, for quality, the search for the essence of the classic, without losing sight of the innovations of today.

November is synonymous with jazz

In Madrid, November is synonymous with jazz, with the celebration of the Madrid International Jazz Festival, better known as JAZZMADRID. Each year, it presents a powerful sample of the best international jazz combined with a strong presence of leading artists on today’s scene.

Gregory Porter, John Scofield, Madeleine Peyroux, Esperanza Spalding, Kurt Elling and Charles Lloyd are some of the great stars of the genre who have performed at previous editions of the festival, whose programme is extended to the city nights and early hours thanks to the participation of the clubs that are members of  the Madrid en Vivo association.

The Madrid en Vivo association organises the Jazz Con Sabor a Club series. This event has been held for more than 15 years in Madrid's jazz clubs and halls and is part of the Madrid International Jazz Festival.

The programme features established figures from the national scene and a large number of international stars, as well as promising projects, boosting the jazz scene by promoting the artists who cultivate it, whether they are new talents or veterans.